Miss America Pageant Apologizes To Vanessa Williams Over Stripping Her Of Crown And Title 32-Years Ago

In 1983 New York born Vanessa Williams became America’s first
black Miss America. However, months into her rein, she was
stripped of her title and crown, over nude lesbian pictures that
surfaced in Penthouse magazine. Williams had privately taken the
photos in university for a photographer, who stated they were
for artistic purposes and to be kept private. However, the
minute Williams became Miss America, the photographer began
shopping the photos, sold them and ruined her life.

Penthouse released the photos and it created a big scandal.
The Miss America pageant put pressure on Williams to give up her
title and she reluctantly agreed to relinquish her crown during
a widely televised press conference. The entire episode hurt the
black community, with many believing the scandal and her removal
as Miss America was due to racism. It's been a real sore spot
with black people for years. Black people have discounted the
pageant for decades due it.

This past Sunday during the 2015 Miss America telecast, the
pageant's CEO, Sam Haskell, apologized to Williams stating,
"Though none of us currently in the organization were involved
then, on behalf of today's organization, I want to apologize to
you and to your mother, Mrs. Helen Williams. I want to apologize
for anything that was said or done that made you feel any less
than the Miss America you are and the Miss America you will
always be."

Vanessa Williams

Williams stated, "This is so unexpected, but so beautiful."
Williams was gracious to even go to the event and accept the
apology, because they treated her very badly when the scandal
broke and for years after that. Williams and her family were
exposed to so much public harassment and scorn. It could not
have been easy for them during that time.

Shortly after Williams relinquished her crown, she released
her first album “The Right Stuff” and it became a hit with R&B
audiences. Williams debut CD was followed by the smash albums
“The Comfort Zone” and “The Sweetest Days.” Williams also
became an actress, starring in the hit films “Eraser” and “A
Diva’s Christmas Carol.” Williams ventured into television and
became the star of the show “Ugly Betty.”

In a 1980s piece in Ebony magazine Williams stated her view
that “success is the best revenge” as her career and life were
destroyed by the Miss America scandal, but she found success in
music with her breakthrough debut. Where the mainstream press
had assumed she was finished after the Miss America scandal, her
career was in fact only just beginning.

Vanessa Williams in 1983

Williams recently revealed she was molested as a child by an
older woman and it led to sexual promiscuity in her life. Hence
the pictures (it’s a known fact a number of victims of sexual
molestation become promiscuous). While the Judiciary Report does
not encourage promiscuity and is not into lesbianism, the
photographer had no right to sell the nude photos of Williams.

He exploited her in what could have spelled the end of her
life, as victims exploited in such situations sometimes commit
suicide, which is not the answer to their problems. Many people
who have been a victim of sexting and revenge porn became
suicidal and some took their own life, which the site does not
encourage. Don't destroy other people's lives, especially for
financial or social gain. Don't be that kind of person. Everyone
deserves the chance to live with dignity and privacy.

Side Bar: Before I was born my mom was in national
beauty pageants in Jamaica and did quite well. She was runner up
in one pageant that would have led to international pageants (i.e. Miss Universe) had the
winner (who my mom is cuter than) been unable to perform her
duties. To this day when I watch any beauty pageant with my
mother, she makes the most hilariously disgraceful comments that
make me laugh. My mom will look at the contestants in pageants
now and jokingly make statements such as, "In my day you
couldn't wear hair extensions in pageants" and "in my day you
couldn't wear fake eye lashes in pageants" and "in my day you
couldn't have breast implants in pageants" (that little hater
LOL).